Sticks and Stones
by daughterXofXdarkness
Summary: "Mai knew her soulmate would be angry at her for all the times she hurt herself, but considering the multiple 'heart attacks', she'd say they were even." In which Mai is clumsy, Naru is flustered, Lin is wise, and Gene? Gene is just gay. (Lol, it's a soulmate AU! The one where the soulmates share a physical bond (aka injuries). Semi-canon. Warning: May get pretty angsty.)


**IIII LIIIIVEEE!**

 **I finally came up with a story idea! And I think this one's pretty good...Or, at least, I hope it is?**

 **Well, you guys know the drill: If you recognize it, it isn't mine!**

* * *

Chapter One: May Break My Bones

Taniyama Mai loved hearing the story of how her parents met.

Her mother was a nurse in the same hospital her father, a firefighter, was admitted to. The day he came to the hospital, Mrs. Taniyama collapsed as a result of his injuries- a broken arm, a few cracked ribs and a large gash on his back- and they got placed right next to each other.

Her mother recovered by the next day, and was ironically assigned her father's head nurse.

One day, as she was checking up on him, she set about changing his bandages. The multiple injuries littering his back and arms prompted a discussion about their scars. They both eventually came to the realization that they had the same scars, and therefore were soulmates.

Mr. Taniyama died when Mai was four, and left her mother in a weakened state.

Mai knew her soulmate would be angry at her for all the times she hurt herself, but considering the multiple "heart attacks", she'd say they were even.

The attacks started when Mai was five, just as she was getting used to the multiple bruises that would appear (there was an unspoken theory in her house: that Mai's soulmate was abused often, but no one ever mentioned this to the girl.) Her mother consulted many physicians and doctors, and had many tests run, but Mai was perfectly healthy for a little girl. According to the numerous doctors, the only solution was that her soulmate had a weak heart and was lucky to be alive. They asked her to be careful, lest her actions trigger a reaction in the poor child, and Mai, like the beautifully innocent child that she was, pinky-promised to "protect her princess from the evil dragon."

As she grew, she started studying the attacks, though they were lessening as she got older. Mai would write down what it felt like right before her heart stopped, and by the time she was ten, started to notice a pattern.

Her head would feel fuzzy, like she was covered in a thick film. There was a palpable static in the air, and a blast of energy would course through her veins. It just wasn't normal and Mai had a feeling the cause of the problem wasn't "a weak heart". She could feel the power that led up to attacks, and it terrified her to no end.

She didn't want her soulmate to die like her father and leave her all alone. The thought of her soulmate alone and in pain hurt just as much as the cuts and bruises. Her heart ached with longing and curiosity, but Mai didn't know how to help them.

 _That_ , she knew, hurt most of all.

* * *

"Hey Noll, I have a theory."

Oliver looked up from his book to peer at his twin. Gene was tossing a tennis ball at the wall and catching it. This was slowly grating on his nerves.

"And that would be…?"

Gene rolled his chair around to face his brother, trying to find the words. He decided to open the mental link.

 _Noll…I think your PK might affect your soulmate._

Noll could respond with an _and how do you know I even have a soulmate?_ But it was obvious. He constantly woke with new and painful bruises and scars, and Oliver was a very careful individual. He couldn't really be mad at his supposed life partner. His childhood of abuse and neglect couldn't have been comfortable for them. For all he knew, they could've been abused too.

But to think his PK, that which he can hardly control, is hurting someone else, someone who already had to share his pain…

Oliver ran a hand over his face and frowned at his twin.

 _Where is this coming from, Gene?_

 _I just got to thinking…_

 _Never a good idea._

 _Quiet you! Anyways, I think it's possible, at least in the sense that they could collapse when you do. I mean,_ _your heart stops_ _, Oliver. That_ could _count as a physical injury._

Closing his book and standing, Oliver turned to the door of his room.

"Well," he shoved away the slight uneasiness settling in his stomach and opened the door. "I guess I'll have to be more careful, take Lin's lessons more seriously."

He closed the link and went to go find Lin.

* * *

"…Lin?"

Lin Koujo sighed and opened one eye. He sat in the middle of the Davis family's garden maze. He was hoping to meditate in complete silence but, of course, those brats couldn't give him a moment of peace.

He quietly waited for the young Davis child to gather his words, but Oliver just sat across from him.

"I apologize for disturbing you, but I have a question about my powers."

Lin nodded, prompting the boy to speak.

Noll stared at the sky, it was a surprisingly clear day so far. _Give it a few hours,_ he thought. By noon the clouds would roll in and cover Cambridge in grey once again. "Is it possible that my 'episodes' might affect my…my soulmate?"

Lin was tempted to smile, but he didn't want to insult the boy. Oliver rarely showed what he perceived to be weakness, the fact that he cared about someone he'd never met obviously irritated him.

The child had a set amount of people he trusted. It was an incredibly small circle, but if you were a part of it, you were fiercely protected by Oliver. His soulmate hadn't even met him yet, but the bond was obviously there.

Oliver patiently waited for his mentor's response. He would never admit this, but he was very grateful to Lin. Despite his hatred of those who were Japanese, the young adult had been helping Noll control his dangerous powers for the past two years, and the number of outbursts had decreased drastically.

"It is possible that your soulmate feels the repercussions of your PK, as some cases have shown, but might I ask why you just now thought of this?"

"…Gene brought it to my attention that I might be hurting them."

"Ah."

That made sense. Eugene was the more cheerful of the two, and the more open with his affections, which drew more people to him. Oliver was more reserved, and many people avoided him. Therefore, alerting his brother, who for all of his brains was the most emotionally stunted child Lin had ever encountered, to the fact he might very well be endangering another was directly in line with his character.

"Lin?"

"Yes, Oliver?"

"…Do you think they hate me?"

Lin was surprised, and that didn't happen often. Noll was being incredibly open with him. It might be because he didn't react negatively to Oliver's vulnerability. He decided to tread lightly; he was making progress with him.

"No. I don't think it's possible. And besides, I'd say you two are even. This soulmate of yours seems to get into a ton of trouble."

"Do you think they're like Gene and I?"

"…You're a very special young man, Oliver Davis. I wouldn't be surprised if your soulmate was a special individual as well. Now, how about we start today's training, hmm?"

* * *

Mai developed a habit of apologizing to her soulmate whenever she hurt herself. She had promised to protect them after all, and they had finally stopped doing 'the thing'. It has been a while since they've had what her mother deemed 'an episode'.

Her mother, on the other hand, seemed to be getting worse. She had collapsed one day and was now confined to the hospital. The doctors had yet to inform Mai of her mother's condition, but she was allowed to visit her. Mai didn't like how quiet her house had become.

Simultaneously, Mai had started 8th grade and was randomly singled out by her peers. She'd had her book bag dumped in a toilet, her hair pulled, she'd been kicked and shoved, slapped, tripped, punched in the gut and bullied verbally.

Lying on the floor, blood streaming out of her mouth, Mai would sit and apologize to her soulmate.

She didn't mean to cause them harm; she had no idea _why_ she was targeted, but she kept her head up. Her mother had always told her to turn the other cheek, that whatever she was going through could be worse, so make the best of the situation she was in.

"Mai, you are a smart, sweet girl. I need you to be strong for me," her mother would rasp as she gripped her hand. "Don't let my condition affect you. Keep your chin up, sweetheart."

Mai would nod, silently debating whether to tell her mother of her treatment in school, but to be strong, she knew she couldn't complain.

"Yes, _Oka-sama_."

Oh how she wished she had someone to talk to.

* * *

Oliver sighed and counted the bruises that littered his body. They didn't hurt, they never really hurt after the initial blow. But he had to wonder…

"What could you possibly be doing to warrant this?" Oliver inquired, not expecting a response.

"Maybe they're bullied. Or perhaps annoying."

"If you don't get constantly bullied for your _overwhelming_ incompetence, I doubt any soulmate of mine could be worse, Gene." Noll smirked.

"You wound me brother dearest, but obviously not as much as your soulmate does. Seriously Oliver," Gene frowned as he ran a hand over one particularly large mark. "You have to wonder what kind of life they lead…"

The bruise could only be described as resembling the inside of a tree, one that was darker the closer to the center you got. It was purple at the center and bled into different shades of blue that ended in a sickening shade of yellow green. Gene's heart ached just looking at it.

"Well, at least _my_ soul mate isn't clumsy. I hardly ever get a mark from him."

That made Noll freeze.

"…'Him'?"

Gene withdrew his hand and looked away.

"Yes. 'Him'."

Oliver turned to his twin and stared at him for a very long time.

"Gene…" _You could have told me. You know I wouldn't care._

 _Yeah…I know. I just didn't know how, I guess._

Noll pulled Gene in for a hug, and tried to reassure him in the only way he knew how: silently.

* * *

 **It's been sooooo long since I put a story up here! Holy hell, I've been pretty busy. School was hell (we had a suicide scare), my mom was in the hospital for a month, and I was in NC for the last four days writing this! But I really hope you all like it. Feel free to review or follow it; I'd like some feedback so I can make it better or answer any questions. And this will be a multichapter fanfic (my first one *squeals loudly*) so enjoy!**


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